Euronews

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been told about the arrest of the owner of one of Russia’s largest airports, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Dmitry Kamenshchik owns Moscow’s Domodedovo airport where a suicide bombing killed 37 people five years ago.

Kamenshchik faces charges over the lack of scanning equipment on entry to the airport which allowed the bomber to bring explosives into arrivals hidden under his clothes for the attack that killed 37 people.

The airport owner was detained overnight after arriving voluntarily for questioning as a witness at the powerful Investigative Committee.

Kamenshchik faces up to 10 years in prison after being charged with providing unsafe services that caused multiple deaths.

Domodedovo airport said in a statement that Kamenshchik’s detention was “groundless.” It said the airport would continue operating as normal.

The Investigative Committee said in a statement that Kamenshchik and other officials “introduced a new system of inspection at the entrances to the airport, which increased the airport’s vulnerability.”

The airport argues that 2010 legislation allowed airports not to put all those entering the building through a metal detector, instead opting for selective inspection. It denies it was economising on security measures.

“The transport safety of the airport met and meets the legal norms,” Kamenshchik said at a briefing on Wednesday, adding that “the law has evolved.”

Kamenshchik arrived at the Investigative Committee on Thursday carrying a bag of personal belongings, an indication he expected to be detained, Kommersant daily reported.

“I’m not afraid because I know that I have the truth behind me,” he told journalists.